Under My Hat
by Beautiful Allusion
Summary: A story about the brains and bravery behind each of Jack Sparrow's elaborate trinkets and trophys. No Slash and No Warnings.
1. My Hat

**A/N:** This is the first chapter of my story; it just tells you about how he receives the hat and a certain piece of silver. Next chapter on its way but schools started so bare with me, hope you like and read on. Ange.

**Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters are property of the original creators, no copyright infringement is intended and I make no profit from this story.

"My hat! My hat! Turn the ship around you scurvy seadogs, if I don't get me hat back I'll be sending ye to the locker!" Jack Sparrow yelled as he ran back and forward on the ship keeping a diligent eye on his hat, "I said now!"

"Begging your pardon Captain," Mister Gibbs said as he pulled up in front of Jack, "but…why that hat be so important to ye?" he held his hands up in front of him, palms out so that it was a peaceful gesture, and Jack leaned in towards him with a slightly menacing sneer.

"That hat Mister Gibbs, helps keep everything that is precious to me in order," he waved his hands around in front of him in his usual drunkenly manner and motioned to his head, "everything precious, savvy?"

"I presume," Mister Gibbs said, backing up slightly, "that you mean all of your trinkets and things." His shoulders relaxed slightly as Jack gave his trademark grin, but he tensed again instantly as Jack's eyes returned to the water.

"My hat! I've lost it, turn around! Find it!" Jack screamed as he scanned the water below for his beloved tricorn.

"Turn around, we must find Jack's hat!" Gibbs yelled as he began tugging on a rope and pulling the sail around.

*****

"My hat," Jack said, slurring the words after his rum, "my precious hat. Cost me one silver piece it did Gibbs, bargain if you ask me. Always buy into poker games with the French, great gamblers, poor poker players."

"Aye Captain," Gibbs said as he handed Jack another bottle of rum, "we can get ye a new hat, if we make port at Isla De Sarcas I know a French sailor who'll tell us where to get one."

"You don't understand Gibbs," Jack said with a wave of his hands as he uncorked the rum bottle with his teeth, "that hat and this were a pair they were." Jack fingered a seemingly stray string of beads that hung over his red bandana and tugged gently on the silver piece at the end.

"One of the first two bits I ever stole this is," he took another swig from the bottle and then picked up another half finished one from before, "used the other to buy me way into that game where I won me 'at. Never forget that smarmy accountant's expression as I payed me way in with a bit I took from 'im on the lootin' of a ship crossing to England the night before."

Jack stopped to laugh and drank from both bottles. As one fell to the floor empty with a resounding clunk from his left hand he finished off the last of the other bottle.

"Tell me Joshamee… why is the rum always gone?" his sad expression vanished as Gibbs handed him yet another bottle of rum with a shake of his head and Jack continued his story.

"I was young back then, much like William except smarter and better looking. Had not a penny to me name and not yet even owned a decent hat," he stared forlornly at a hook his hat used to share and then threw his head back with the rum bottle attached to his mouth, "I'd been going around in me dads crew back then, first time he'd ever given me a decent job to do, was to steal the contents of the main safe on the boat. It was a large chest is all and I only went looking at the decent stuff. Half way through this accountant comes in to check on his wages or something and before even taking a thing I had a pistol to 'is neck and the money off his person in two seconds."

Jack drank again and then fiddled with the silver piece once more as if trying to place the story in the correct order.

"As it turns out, the whelp had all his money in the chest and was only carrying two silver pieces. I was round nineteen, took them like it was important and then grabbed the chest and left. The whelp was cowering in the corner as I grabbed a rum bottle and swaggered on out with me loot. Next night I find him with a bunch of scallywags down at a dock trying to win 'imself enough money for a drink," Jack frowned slightly twirling the corners of his moustache around like a villain in a fairy story.

"He was blamed for the theft it seems, same night I won that hat he followed me to Tortuga," Jack drank again and Gibbs saw his eyes close slightly, "got drunk and began to get rough with a youngish girl, Anamaria I think it was. Either way you know how her brother got when they messed around with 'er, he had the fool beaten to a bloody pulp before I got round to 'em. Had to shoot 'im, he woulda died anyway…"

Jack's eyes began to close and the rum bottle slowly slipped form his fingers, Gibbs grabbed it before it could wake up the captain and began to leave the room.

"Gibbs," he heard Jack say loudly as he began to open the door, "I want me hat back, me first hat, me killing hat, me pirate lord hat. They're a pair mate, savvy?"

"Aye captain," Gibbs said as he retreated through the door watching Jack fall asleep at his desk, "the crew and I will find it tonight." As he moved to close the door he heard Jack speak again.

"If you remind me tomorrow Gibbs I'll tell you about this one," he said as his head made its way closer to the desktop, pointing to a long string of beads with a silver medallion hanging on the bottom, dangling pieces swinging from the base, "this one had a much more desirable story."

**A/N:** Sorry if this chapter doesn't live up to the hype of the summary, the next one as Jack says is much more desirable, hope you continue to read and review if you like, Ange.


	2. The Dangling Medallion

Jack Sparrow waltzed in his usual way across the deck of the _Black Pearl _and came to an abrupt stop in front of his first mate on board, Mr Joshamee Gibbs. As Gibbs slowly turned to face him Jack knew the news was going to be bad.

"Don't worry about it Mister Gibbs," he said somewhat forlornly, "we will need to make port straight away; a Captain is nothing without his hat." Jack began walking towards the helm but stopped in his tracks as he heard Gibbs's voice.

"I agree we should be makin' port Cap'n, the rum stocks are low, but if it be a hat ye're looking for, I thought ye'd be liking this one," he held up Jack's hat, battered and dented, but overall still intact and only slightly damaged on one side.

Jack stared at Gibbs for a minute with a strange look on his face, after a minute he cleared his throat loudly and stepped towards Gibbs to take his precious hat in his hands. After looking it over he placed it on his head with both hands and clapped Gibbs on the back.

"Good job Mr Gibbs and you too," he said as he gestured to the crew, "what's say we head into Tortuga eh? I'm in the mood for a celebration."

**********

"Well Mr Gibbs, its well deserved," Jack said as he placed a drink in front of his friend on the table, "but as it was before, it'll just be the one maybe if ye're lucky it'll be two so make it last."

"Very generous of ye cap'n," Gibbs said as he grabbed his drink and took a swig, "the crew be glad ye're back in a good mood cap'n, that rum ye bought will last us a good portion of forever."

"Forever is a long time Gibbs," Jack said as he took a drink from his own bottle of rum, "there are many things you think'll last forever." His voice trailed off and his eyes seemed to be viewing a scene that only he could see. As his trademark grin crept over his features Gibbs interrupted.

"Uh, Cap'n, you said if I asked ye today, you'd tell me about that trinket ye got hanging in your hair," Gibbs took another swig from his bottle as Jack focused his eyes on him.

"Well Mr Gibbs, I suppose tellin' ye won't hurt. But first Mr Gibbs, I think we need another round of rum," Jack said as he twisted the string of bead and the medallion around in his fingers.

When the rum had arrived and the server wandered away Jack began his 'desirable tale'.

"Twenty two I was when I came upon this treasure," he said as he twirled the medallion around, "belonged to a girl, pretty thing, daughter of a rich nobleman, much like Elizabeth except she didn't have that spit fire quality. I did prefer it that way though, no offence to Turner's bride to be but I like the lass who can throw a party not a dagger at me throat. I mean think about that Miss Swann, if she isn't insulting my intelligence or my integrity, she's throwing a tantrum or one other such significant sword-like piece of equipment to someone or other that's trying to kill me, I think she's even tried it herself once and honestly that kind of lassie really isn't my bottle of rum, doesn't float my ship if you know what I mean."

Gibbs grunted in response to Jack's rather confusing rant and took another drink of his rum, he would need to be well and drunk throughout this story he had the feeling, and he intended to get that way with the money from Jacks pocket.

"Well anyway the lass was a few years younger than me, had the local magistrate following her around. He was a smarmy thing, thought he deserved anything and everything he wanted – went about taking it too – one day I'm walking along the main street by me onesies dressed in this clerics outfit and I hear this shrieking coming from a nearby alleyway. Most people wandered right past, it did sound awfully like a dying cat but as I walk past and stick my head in what sight greets me but the magistrate trying to force himself on her."

"_I'd be thinking twice about that mate," Jack said as he entered the alley, "you think a pretty young thing like that isn't going to have every man in this town after you the minute she gets out of this here alley? And if she doesn't, knowledge is power mate, there's no greater knowledge than someone powerful secrets ey think of the things she could have you do with that hanging over yer 'ead."_

"_Bugger off Smith," the magistrate Robbins spat at what he assumed to be a cleric of the local church, "this doesn't concern you." As Robbins spoke Jack kept his eyes on the young Helena's' face, noticing the fear and the pain as he turned slightly towards the entrance of the alley._

"_I think you'll find that it does concern me," Jack tried again. Sauntering towards Robbins with his sword now unsheathed and in plain view of the two other occupants of the alley, "I think you'll be of service to me. You see in exchange for your cooperation in leaving miss Callaway here alone, and in paying me a large sum of gold to keep quiet about this little intrusion of her personal space, I will not have to run you through with this incredibly difficult to clean sword." _

"It was surprising actually," Jack slurred into his third bottle of rum, "I managed a complete threat in almost proper English without a single drop of rum." He sighed and rubbed his finger over the medallion again, waving the barmaid over with another bottle of rum for Mr. Gibbs; they were well past mugs and cups now.

"This is all very well Cap'n," Gibbs said into his own bottle, "but ye haven't yet said about yer medallion 'ave ye?"

At Gibbs words the pirate captain curled his fingers around the medallion and gave a sharp tug, pulling the trinket clear away from his hair and placed it on the table. "That Mister Gibbs is the interesting part of the story."

_Four days had gone by in the small little harbour town Jack was currently occupying and whilst his payment had been satisfying, he was quickly getting bored of messing with the magistrate and there was very little other form of entertainment._

"_Mister Smith," he heard a voice yell from far off over his shoulder as he strolled past the church he was currently supposed to be tending to, "Mister Smith!"_

_The persistent yelling left him no choice but to turn around, if he had to hear another tale from one of the old hens living in this village about how their neighbour had committed a so called 'sin' then he really would rifle, loot and pillage the town and be on his merry way. These people had never committed a sin like Jack in their lives. It was all horrendously mundane._

_As he turned his head he mentally reminded himself to correct his posture and pronounce all his h's. With the boringness of his current situation he began slipping back into habits that he usually couldn't afford to adopt around the people he was plotting against and he thanked Calypso that his cover hadn't been blown yet._

"_Can I help you young Miss Callaway?" he said in an overly caring tone, his eyes focusing on the large and ornate ring the girl was winding around her index finger._

"_Yes Mister Smith," she stuttered slightly, "in order to thank you for your…gallant rescue, I have convinced my father to invite you around to our estate for dinner tonight. Please accept my invitation with many thanks."_

_Jack smiled his trademark smile and muttered a yes to the anxious girl, offering to walk her to her home and turning back towards the church when she politely declined. Dinner was at seven and if he could charm his way into Callaway's study he would have what he had come to this bloody town to get a month ago…and perhaps even more._

_**********_

"_Very interesting collection you have hear Mister Callaway," Jack began as he glanced over the charts and maps on the walls, "interested in sailing are you?"_

"_More the sailors legends Mister Smith, there is a very interesting few, you may have even heard of them. Davy Jones, The Kraken, _Flying Dutchman_ and apparently the fastest ship in the oceans of the world," he paused for great effect and Jack feigned excitement…he had heard it all before, "the legend of the _Black Pearl_."_

"_Sounds rather captivating," Jack said with feeling, reeling the man into showing him what he wanted, "do you have any artefacts relating to the _Pearl_?"_

"_As a matter of fact," Callaway said as he unlocked a large chest on his desk, "I have these. Given to me by a 'sailor' a few years back, Pirate if you ask me, rambled on about Jones being after him and handed me all these."_

_Jack greedily took the papers that Callaway held out to him and scoured the pages for exactly what he wanted. Turning to Callaway with his fist at the ready, Jack punched the slightly drunken man across the side of the face and he promptly fell unconscious to the floor._

"_No hard feelings mate," Jack said, dropping all pretences of disguise, "but I'll be gettin' that ship if I have to bargain with Jones myself."_

_Collecting the papers of importance Jack tucked them into his outfit and stepped out of the study. Making his was towards the dining hall and then the front room he was stopped by Helena._

"_Where's my father? Did he leave you all alone 'Mister Smith'?" the girl grinned and played with the collar of Jack's jacket, "I'd hate to let you leave bored, maybe if you step this way I can show you a good time."_

"She 'ad a hell of a room mate," Jack laughed as he summoned over the waitress with two more bottles of rum, "when she fell asleep a little later, I made me exit. She had two small chests, full of gems and jewels and sticking out of the top of the second one I saw this medallion. Recognized it I did, from some of the papers I'd taken. It was gonna prove to be very useful."

"Why would that be Cap'n?" Gibbs asked as Jack leered at some barely dressed woman that had just walked into the tavern, waiting as men swarmed around her and then blocked her from view so Jack would continue, "useful how?"

"There's a map," Jack said mysteriously as he leant towards Gibbs, well and truly intoxicated now and his silver tongue running looser than usual, "it leads to a young herbalist woman, some would call her a witch. Now she ain't as whookey or spooky as Tia Dalma so I visited her back then, earned me a little something special mate."

"What does this have to do with the medallion?" Gibbs questioned and then cleared his throat as Jack leant back and narrowed his eyes at his first mate, "…sir?"

"The medallion had an inscription on the back, Latin of course," the pirate captain drank again and then the glare melted away magically as his hand came into contact with the medallion and he leant forwards, "the inscription is a clue, that leads to another and then another. Last clue has you in the arms of that bonny lass I mentioned and the only way to have all this worked out is if you place the non inscripted side of the medallion in the centre of the map safely encased in a frame and hanging on the wall of the _Black Pearl_."

"Oh," Gibbs said as he watched his captain take in a breath, readying himself for his final bit of story before he either collapsed drunk on the _Pearl_ or found the type of company he wanted and left with her.

"When I first met the young herbalist, a weird thing I thought her," Jack smiled and seemed to remember something, laughing as he came back to earth and looked at Gibbs, "took some persuading on my part, but I managed to get a few things out of her. Scarlet! If you'll excuse me."

The captain made his way over to the red headed woman and put an arm around her shoulders, charming her out of a slap and then making an exit, leaving Gibbs to wonder exactly what this young herbalist had been tricked into giving Jack.

**A/N: **If you think the next chapter will be about 'exactly what the young herbalist had been tricked into giving Jack' then you'd be right. Sorry it took ages for this to come out, but I have a lot of school issues. Hopefully you liked and will review, thanks for reading, Ange.


End file.
